


An Apology for the Ages

by S_L_Blake



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Apologetic Draco, F/M, Forgiveness, Friendship, Good Snape, Oneshot, Protective Fred, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 10:07:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30037044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_L_Blake/pseuds/S_L_Blake
Summary: *ONE-SHOT* After Draco calls Hermione a Mudblood, he feels guilty. Will he apologise and will Hermione forgive him? Slight AU
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Kudos: 30





	An Apology for the Ages

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nick7745](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nick7745/gifts).



> Hello everyone, this is a gift fic for nick7745 as part of the Gift Giving Extravaganza 2021 (over on FFnet), so I hope you enjoy it. Thank you to my alphabeta team Art3misiA and TheOnlyCeeCeeJ for helping me with this. I do not own any rights to Harry Potter; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

“No one asked for your opinion, you filthy, little _Mudblood_.”

The words shot from Draco’s mouth like a bullet from a gun, aimed straight at its victim’s unguarded heart. His grey eyes narrowed as he’d sneered, his voice dripping with venom.

Draco knew he should have felt pleased with himself for his remark, but seeing Granger’s face pale and her eyes glisten with sparkling diamonds that were unshed tears, all he felt was an aching hollowness inside.

_What have I just done?_

His father would have been practically overjoyed had he seen the scene play out, for his son to have become an exact replica of himself, yet, at that moment Draco didn’t know who he was anymore.

_Who am I?_

He wanted to take the words back, apologise to her, but he couldn’t. The guilt and shame ate at him, his stomach twisting into a knot that he couldn’t undo. It was as if a snake was tightening its grip on its prey, squeezing the life from it.

He watched, helpless, ignoring the laughs from his friends as Hermione ran from the courtyard, her school robes flowing around her like a makeshift shield - not that it would do any good now, the damage was done. He didn’t blame her for leaving, all he wanted was to find a quiet, secluded place where he could be alone. He knew his plan had been scuppered the moment the Weasley twins, who were followed closely behind by their little brother and of course Potter, stormed over, fury in the lines of their faces while it blazed in their eyes too.

One minute he was stood with his peers, the next Fred had pushed through the throng, and punched him hard enough that he heard the sickening crunch of his nose being broken, blood spurting all over like a geyser erupting. From the look on Weasley’s face, Draco knew he wasn’t finished and yet he wasn’t about to stop him, he deserved this.

He was thrown against the rough, cold stone wall, the abrasiveness of it rubbing uncomfortably against his clothes, while he felt the pressure of a wand against his pale, alabaster throat.

“You little bastard! You just don’t know when to stop, do you?” Fred seethed, pressing the wand harder against Draco’s throat.

“No, I guess I don’t,” Draco said so quietly that it may as well have been a whisper. He held the older boy’s gaze, knowing full well that he would be able to see the guilt and sadness at what he’d done in his grey eyes. “Hurt me if you must, I won’t stop you. It’s what I deserve.”

Fred seemed taken aback by the confession, if the confusion in his russet brown eyes was anything to go by. Before he could do anything else, however, he was yanked away from Draco by Professor Snape. His usually dour features were furious as were those of his colleague Professor McGonagall.

“Whatever is the meaning of this?” she demanded in her Scottish lilt, while Professor Snape looked at Draco with a mix of disappointment and shock, perhaps at the fact that he hadn’t fought back against his attacker.

“That…” Fred bit back what he wanted to say due to a warning look from his twin who shook his head slowly, before changing tack. “Malfoy called Hermione a Mudblood, Professor.” The disgust and hatred he had for the blond was clear in his voice.

“So, you thought you’d take it upon yourself to mete out justice?” Snape said, his usually bored monotonous voice cold, his onyx black eyes narrow and sharp like a hawk.

“He deserved it,” Fred stated adamantly, glaring at Malfoy.

“Ten points will be deducted from both houses,” McGonagall announced with an air of authority. “I will not condone violence or that kind of derogatory language in this school.”

“Malfoy, come with me,” Snape stated, before turning and leaving the courtyard, his black robes billowing behind him like darkness itself that he’d harnessed.

Seeing the blood on his white shirt, he cast a quick _Tergeo_ to rid the material of the unwanted substance before turning his wand to his nose and casting _Episkey,_ wincing as the bones realigned. He knew what was to come but followed his Head of House and godfather from the courtyard into the school, to the dungeons.

When they reached the dungeons, he didn’t know whether to be grateful for the silence, the only noise their footsteps reverberating off the stone walls; or whether he should fear it, like a cage holding him, with no chance of escape.

His palms were sweaty, he supposed from nerves but he wasn’t sure, nevertheless he wiped them on his trousers before entering Snape’s office.

Though small, it was warm from the fire that burned in the hearth and there were faint scents of a variety of ingredients on the air, but he couldn’t discern what they all were as they seemed to be mixed together. It wasn’t an off-putting smell. On the contrary, it made the office smell fresh and clean. In the room off to the left, the door ajar, he could hear the steady bubbling and hissing of a cauldron at work.

“Sit down, Draco.”

He did as he was told, dropping his school bag at his feet. He sat down in the olive faux leather chair, his hands on the beech arms, feeling the roughness and the grooves in the wood that had clearly come with age. Draco looked at the raven-haired professor head on.

“If you’re about to ask me why I didn’t fight back…” The rest of what Draco was going to say fell away into silence when Snape raised his hand to stop him from continuing.

“That isn’t the question I was going to ask, Draco,” Severus said, tired, his eyes studying the boy before him slowly, his fingers templed on the desk as he contemplated something.

“Why? Why call Miss Granger what you did?”

Ah, there it was. Of course he’d want to know and it hurt Draco even to answer. “I… it just came out unbidden. I took no joy from sounding like _him…_ my father. The moment I saw her face crumple, the light dim from her eyes… I wish I could take it back even now. I hate myself for what I did,” he said, averting his gaze, looking anywhere but at his godfather.

Severus could see the self-loathing in Draco as clear as day, it was in his eyes. He sighed, wanting to reach out to him. He knew he couldn’t physically, that Draco would shy away from the contact, but perhaps he could help in what he said. He could see that Draco liked Granger, even though he may not admit it, for fear of his parents finding out.

“You don’t have to be your father’s son, Draco. You may come from a high standing pureblood family, but that doesn’t mean you can’t carve your own path and have different friends, ones you choose, instead of ones you’ve grown up with.”

“But even if I apologise, I don’t think she’ll forgive me or, for that matter, want to be acquainted with me. Not that I blame her,” Draco replied, his shoulders slumped in a defeated pose. He hadn’t even attempted to try and speak to the girl yet. It was as if he’d already given up.

“You don’t know that unless you try, which is what I suggest you do. _Merlin_ knows I regret not taking the chance to make things right with one of my friends every day, and I have to live with that knowledge, but you don’t. We both know it’s Saturday and she’s bound to go to the library at some point, she’ll be without them I’m sure.”

Draco’s eyes lit up with curiosity at what his godfather had said, wondering who the friend he’d lost had been but didn’t raise the question. It didn’t feel like the right time, maybe another time. His chest swelled with hope about seeing Hermione again today, he’d go to the library to find her and put things right between them, at the least, apologise.

“Thank you, Severus,” he said as he stood up and put his bag over his shoulder, meeting his godfather’s onyx-black gaze, a soft smile pulling at his lips.

“You’re welcome, Draco. Promise me something. Promise me that you won’t say _that_ word again.”

Draco nodded, with their eyes locked, he answered, “I promise that I will never utter that word again.”

“Good, now you may go.” Severus watched his godson walk towards the door before adding, “Good luck.”

He’d never been able to salvage his friendship with Lily, which was one if not the biggest regret he had to live with. Draco was a different story. He hoped that the boy could fix things and form a friendship with Granger, but only time would tell.

* * *

Draco kept himself busy for most of the afternoon. When the tall, old, ornate grandfather clock chimed three o’clock in the Slytherin Common Room, he grabbed his bag and headed to the library.

Stepping through the great oak doors, silence seemed to cloak him. The only sounds came from the faint scratches of quills on parchment, the gentle turning of a page and soft chatter.

He headed for the quiet study section which was neatly situated behind a row of high bookcases that seemed to reach as high as the ceiling. They were filled to the brim with books of different sizes, shapes and colours.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a familiar head of bushy brown hair sat at a table, making efficient notes as she pored over a book that had clearly taken her interest.

Not wanting to outwardly take the empty seat beside her, he cleared his throat and said, “Granger, is there any…”

He never got the chance to finish his sentence. The moment he spoke, she seemed to freeze in her seat, the tension cording through her body, before she slowly turned to glare at him before beginning to pack away her things.

“I came here to study but of course here you are _again._ Well, I’m not doing this with you,” she said in an angry whisper.

He sat down quickly and took a chance that may or may not reward him with a slap – he put his hand on the book, keeping it firmly on the table.

“What are you…”

“Gra… Hermione.” The name felt foreign on his tongue and yet oddly right. “Hermione, you don’t have to leave. I didn’t come here to call you anything untoward, simply to apologise, if you’ll hear me out.”

He’d taken her by surprise the moment he’d called her by her first name, shocking her into a spectacular silence, her chestnut brown eyes were wide with wonder and confusion or perhaps curiosity, he couldn’t be certain.

“You’ve never… never called me that before,” she whispered quietly.

“I know, but now I have. I’m sorry for what I said in the courtyard this morning, I should have never called you that disgusting name,” he said, his grey eyes bright with empathy.

She studied him for a moment. What he’d said had clearly affected him, which was strange to her. She thought that he would have enjoyed upsetting her, but that wasn’t the case given he was apologising to her - it had hurt him.

“Why did you say it in the first place?” There was no anger in her words, simply an urge to know, to understand the puzzle that was Draco Malfoy.

“I was angry at you for having to have a say in the matter and the insult… it just came out. But the moment I’d said it and saw the look on your face, I regretted it. I hurt you and I’m so sorry that I did, Hermione. If I’m being honest, even though you are an annoying know-it-all at times, for what it’s worth, I actually like and respect you.”

Hermione just stared at him for a few minutes, completely stunned. She’d never expected that Draco Malfoy could actually like, never mind respect her. It was a lot for her to process. But once she had, she offered her hand out to him.

“I accept your apology. Now I don’t think we’ve ever done this properly so… hello, my name is Hermione Granger.”

Draco couldn’t help a smile from gracing his lips as he shook her hand and replied, “Hello, Hermione. My name is Draco Malfoy, it’s nice to meet you.” Releasing her hand gently, he motioned to the book on her desk and asked, “what are you making notes on for Charms?”

“Oh, it’s for the essay on the advantages and disadvantages to the Freezing Charm, I wanted to make a start on it.”

“Well, would you like to study together, maybe compare notes?”

She met his gaze, chestnut brown meeting grey and smiled. “Yes, I think I would, Draco.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, let me know what you thought by leaving a review.  
> I'll see you all soon,  
> S L Blake x


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